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January 13, 2011

The last place I went in Australia was Katoomba. Katoomba is a wonderful little town, hidden in the Blue Mountains. I found out about Katoomba from my friend Chrys's mom (Chrys, who I visited in Canberra) last year. This year, it was my ultimate destination - where i wanted to spend nearly a full week. My goal was to relax, hike, and knit. It's not the iconic Australia of tourism advertising, but if you ever get a chance to go to Katoomba, do it.

I've wanted to tell you guys about this lovely place but I've always been a bit overwhelmed by it all. I literally have hundreds of pictures and so much I would say. But, rather than risk never telling you, I'm going to take Melissa's advice - a post with a lot of pictures, and not that many words.

Last time I was there, I discovered youth hostels (a wonderful, cheap way to travel). I love the staff at Katoomba YHA. It's an old hotel - popular in the early 1900's when Katoomba was the place for the Sydney set to 'relax in the country.' I met some great folks while there. It's a quieter hostel, popular with hikers. Though, I fear some young boy is serving detention in a French school somewhere after I turned him in for running through the halls wearing only a towel as a cape to the encouragement of his fellow students. Not a normal occurance, I assure you.

Like quaint towns everywhere, there is a main street and then quieter residential streets. On the main street was a lovely tea shop with a few teas to choose from and divine desserts...

a great place to knit... and eat on dark chocolate filled coconut nests (more on that knitting in another post).And there is also the Blue Mountain Chocolate Company that makes lovely Belgium chocolates.

While I did a fair bit of eating and shopping, my daily goal was to hike.

My first hike was to Ruined Castle, a destination promising a 360 view of the canyon. A 15 km hike described as strenuous and requiring 7 hours. I didn't do it in 2009 because it was raining and they said at the hostel it wasn't worth the effort because I wouldn't get the views. This time, i was determined and went the first day when the weather was forecasted to be best.

Perhaps I should have known as I broke off from the main road... But I had been told the mist would lift...

I love the blunt warnings of Australian trails.

And down the Golden Stairs we go...

These were probably the slippery steps the sign mentioned...

Rain running through lichen on a tree...

Left or right? Right first and then back past this sign on the way out...

This walk was ethereal at times....

There were no elves around the corner... I wasn't sure at this point...

Beeyore and I climbed to the top... well nearly...common sense prevailed on climbing slick rocks with nobody else around.

Beeyore was very proud of our climb.

And then back down we went... one of the coolest things? I didn't see another person for the first 4 hours I was hiking... and then only 4 Germans heading up to ruined castle... proving Partner's theory once again that if you walk 1/2 mile down a trail you have it to yourself... especially if it's raining.

The last part was to cross a rock slide from the 1920's. I thought this was pretty simple when I started. I didn't quite understand why they said this part was strenuous.

here's the trail... can you tell? fortunately there were yellow poles to tell you which rocks to climb over.

there was a beautiful view of the cliffs from whence the rocks had tumbled.

but then the mist rolled back in. I bagged it a little ways after that... I took the steepest train in the world - 52 degrees - instead of hiking the 45 minutes out of the valley.

(as a brief aside, it really did take me 6.5 hours to walk 15 km... an hour longer than it had taken to finish a marathon the week before. if the views had been clear, it would have taken me 7 hours, stopping to take pictures and all. I thought, being reasonably fit, I would move faster, but it wasn't the case at all).

I still didn't get those views of the canyon, but this was probably my favorite day of the entire trip....

December 05, 2010

Beeyore and I loved the old train stations. Beeyore is just excited about train rides in general...

Toot! Toot!

A long drought has finally ended in Australia. The entire train trip was green fields and flowers.

While in Canberra, I knew I was going to have a chance for a quick visit with a sweet friend, Chrys.

Chrys and I met several years ago at a mutual friends wedding and since then she's hosted me a few times in Canberra. She's fantastic as a Canberra tour guide - I've been all around the area, including visiting beaches, wool shops and even a couple settler's farms.

Last year, her parents were kind enough to let me stay with them for several days. In addition to be kind-hearted and funny people, her Mom is an amazing cook! The old Greek family recipes are mouth-watering. And, another of her amazing talents in growing orchids. I swore I had some pictures of her tables of orchids, but somehow managed to miss that in my mad picture taking.

At any rate, I wanted to give Chrys's Mom a special thank you gift. I finally decided on Green Thumb, thinking that it would help keep her hands warm while she was working on her lovely flowers, but leave her fingers free to work.

I knit these over two days - the day I saw the penguins and then finished the pair the next day on the train to Canberra.

These are super fast. I'll be honest and say that it's not that hard a pattern, but I couldn't have figured it out on my own. I used only 126 yards of yarn - just 5 yards left over - so it's a great way to use up single skeins. I bought the yarn the first year I was knitting, before I had any clue how much yarn to buy for projects. This was a quick knit, essentially mindless and I think makes a classy last minute gift.

The "pair," taking the train to meet the Orchid Keeper

I can't believe this is my first FO post in nearly two months!

Pattern: Green ThumbYarn: Lana Grossa Novella - discontinuedModifications: I didn't do a gauge swatch, so these are slightly longer than the pattern, but no modifications.Knitting yardage total 2010: 2,988

November 18, 2010

So, in the magic world that exists in my mind, this was going to be three posts. So, how about you pull up a chair and pretend with me?

As I indicated, I spent some time in Australia. First stop was Melbourne, the first time I've been there. After our 16 hour flight from LA to Melbourne and an overall 25.5 hour journey (but who's counting), Beeyore and I landed. After a much needed shower, Beeyore and I set out for the town. First top was a fun little walk from the hotel to city center through Fitzroy Gardens.

I have two regrets from my time in Melbourne. The first was not getting to see Captain Cook's cottage in the Gardens.

Since I haven't been to Melbourne, I got on Ravelry and found the lovely ladies of SnB Melbourne. I asked where a yarn tourist like me ought to go. The awesomeness that is Ravelry and the connections with knitters worldwide deserves a post of it own. Suffice it to say, the ladies of Melbourne were wonderful yarn guides.

First stop was the Handweavers' and Spinner's Guild of Victoria. For those unfamiliar with Australia, large areas are divided into states and territories. Victoria is a large state in the southern area - a center for wool production and wine (Yarra valley, my vino friends).

A few hiccups later on the tram had me at the unassuming door of the Guild, located on Shakespeare Street.

But inside... true contentment. I spent over an hour talking to the many lovely ladies that were there that day. Basically, the Guild seeks to bring weaver's and spinners together and provide a place to teach and socialise. Classes are taught on a variety of topics, materials are available for sale and a store showcases the artistry of its members.

Not only were the ladies lovely, but the atmosphere was great for anyone that loves fiber. I was definitely in the minority, not being a spinner. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Guild and the stories of the individual women I met. I'm sorry to say, I didn't write down the names of the lovely ladies I spoke to while I was there. I thought I'd surely remember and I'm very sorry I didn't. If you read this, thank you.

Check out their website, their "15 minutes of fame" section is a gas and makes me a bit nostalgic for the Greatest Generation.

The spinners store - roving and dyes, oh my!

And the yarn store... yarn spun by members as well as some finished pieces were for sale.

The yarn in the store has been raised (grown?), sheared, and spun in Victoria

A class in session the day I was there

I was struck by the older-than-average age of the attendees. Fiber arts is a diminishing art in Australia for many reasons. The first time I visited, I was disappointed to discover that most yarn is sent to China for processing because it's cheaper. I had an older lady tell me in Nundle that, "[she] used to knit but it's just too expensive now." That is infinitely sad to me, when you consider the rich tradition of Australian wool.

Hanging above the door, a map of Australia, from (I believe) felted wool

As I understand it, this wall hanging includes the ranch symbols from every member of the Guild.It is constructed entirely of wool.

I know you're all wondering what I got...

In my defense, it's not filled... but it is the only bag that they had that everything would fit in... I thought about buying less and then thought, "this is hand spun in Australia. You will never see this yarn again, anywhere. Stop being a dumbass and buy it." And that is a quote.

silk/merino roving - a gift for a friend. I'd be a liar if I said I haven't thought about keeping this

I don't like purple, but this immediately evoked ideas of flowers in a garden

Everything was listed in grams, which is meaningless to me, a non-spinner. Most of the yarn consisted of single skeins. This is the only yarn I bought that I think is enough to make a scarf. I just liked the bits of color.

I chose a close-up of this yarn because I hope that you can appreciate the blues and greens. And because I've seen some bad spinning (says the girl that has hit herself in the head with a drop spindle), I was impressed with the consistency of the spin.

Also destined as a gift, for a friend who loves pink

This was the first skein I decided to buy. It's a baby hat. I'll find the baby later.

After the Guild, I set out for other yarny spots. I got lost. Without a map. I asked a tram driver if I could get from here to there on his tram. He said no; I got off the tram. He opened the door, told me to get on, and gave me the path to get un-lost. A well-pierced guy on the next bus also helped. I've heard people say that Australians are stand-offish. I suffer from no illusions that they have no losers, but nearly everyone I met was lovely.

Next stop, Lara Downs. The owner raises all her animals - sheep, alpaca, angora, yak, cashmere, silk. And sells her fiber in a rented upstairs space in a fabric store.

Her sister, Nancy was in the store the day I stopped by. While I was very tempted by the $86 skein of cashmere/merino/yak - gasp! soft! - in the end I "nearly" walked away.

In an as-yet-unblogged event, I've learned to drop spindle. In the end, I decided to buy roving for a yarn I'd never pay for in the U.S. - 100% cashmere roving. Who knows when - or if - I'll ever be able to spin this. Keep you fingers crossed, my spinning friends.

Now we go to the only negative Melbourne experience. It was suggested that I go to Beautiful Silks. I won't give you a link, because I don't think they deserve one. When I arrived at their (always locked) door, I rang the bell. A guy let me in, then disappeared. They had lovely silk and some hand-dyed yarn, though the labeling was inconsistent - grams, but no price; price, but no grams/meterage.

While I looked around in vain for someone to talk to, I took pictures for this blog. THEN someone showed up. A man that claimed to be an owner (and a lawyer, as he quite enjoyed mentioning... numerous times). He rudely asked if i was taking pictures. I said yes, and explained it was to document my yarn tour of Melbourne. He condescendingly told me about international treaties regarding pictures. I offered to delete the pictures, which he wanted me to do. I did so and reached down to put my camera in my bag. When I stood up, he was gone. Apparently, he could only bother to show up to be rude, but not to help a customer. I tried to look around, but the interaction left a bad taste in my mouth. I left, never seeing another person. I briefly considered leaving the door open, since I had a hard time closing it. In the end, I chose to be a better person.

I am told the true owner (a woman) is quite wonderful. And the range of their silk was impressive. But I won't go back. In my yarn tourism of Melbourne, this is a miss. And I don't need pictures to tell people what I thought of the people that were working that day.

In my final stop, I went to the only wool store that is a chain store. I'd been in the Morris and Sons in Sydney. As last year, I was drawn to the same colorway. But it is spun in China, as is all their namebrand yarn. I basically justified this purchase by saying I can't get it in the U.S. But it's an oppression offset, and one I'm not happy to admit to, since I don't need yarn.

Despite my best efforts, this image will not save in a rotated format. And it's late, so I give up.Morris & Sons, 4-ply, colorway: Plummage

As you might imagine, after four stores, shops were closing. My last day in Melbourne, I had a choice. My second regret is that I didn't get to SunSpun. They stock EVERY COLOR of Collinette. And at a cheaper price than in the U.S. I really wanted to get here, especially since the Melbourne crowd so highly endorsed it. But, I chose, and I chose this:

that's me, feeding a kangaroo

But that story will have to wait. And, as the clock approaches midnight, so will the rest of my Melbourne adventure.

I must skip ahead a little bit in the story. Because, you see, today is an important day. As no doubt none of you are aware - because I had to look it up myself - today (November 17th) is my one year blogiversary. I knew when I went to Australia that this day was approaching.

I wanted to mark this day in both normal and different ways. Giveway - normal, check. Something different and special (at least, if you're in the U.S., like me) - hmmm.

Later in my trip, I found the answer. I saw this yarn and thought, colorwork. Which, given I've never completed a colorwork pattern, is a bit ironic.

A standard, soft cream, 100% merino yarn, DK weight. Heirloom is a smaller, but well-established Australian company. I think they offer more heathers and rustic colors than Cleckheaton or Patons. This yarn is grown (raised?) and spun in Australia.

I tried to capture the colors, a navy blue and grey heather. A knitterly, spinnerly, awesome-y friend was in town last week and she felt this yarn. She said, "Oh, soft!" Trust her.

So, leave a comment, and next Wednesday, I'll randomly pick someone to receive both skeins. I'm thinking these two skeins will make some lovely colorwork, but hey, it will be yours, so it doesn't matter what I think.

I really didn't know where this would go when I started blogging. And I really don't know where it's heading. But I cherish the friends I've have made. I appreciate your encouragement and postive thoughts on my projects and whatever else I blog about. I'm glad for the people and blogs I've discovered - for your inspiration and the beauty of your work and the thoughtfulness of the words you share. Thank you for a wonderful first year.

July 08, 2010

For the Fourth of July, we headed to Mount Shasta, staying at the KOA campground. A first time camper, Beckerman was very happy. Unfortunately, he REALLY DIDN'T like the six-hour RV trip so I don't know if there will be another camping trip in his future or not.

July 03, 2010

The house we live in has wainscoting around the living room. In nine months, Beckerman has decided to get up there once. He shows no interest at all and then all of the sudden last week, it's the most interesting place in the world. Here are some photos of his adventure.

I can make this shot, I've been watching World Cup...

I think I'll put this on the floor so I can play with it later.

there is a big grey kitten on this wall... I'm not afraid of him

yes, this will make a good place to watch for attack squirrels...

that edge looks a little too narrow for me... I better not jump up there...

okay, I think I'm done now... I'm going to get down.

On a completely unrelated note, I have to brag about my chard. This is a full size dinner plate full of organic homegrown chard.

Brag, brag, brag. ;~P

We're in Mt Shasta for the Fourth of July. Partner, Boy #2, and I are running the 5 mile run. Boy #1 is the smart one - he's doing the two mile walk that comes with food samples. Hope you're all having a relaxing holiday weekend. I'm shutting off the internet now and tuning out. Lots of knitting progress being made, trust me. I just forgot the download cable.